Google designed its product listing ads with e-commerce in mind. You cannot use them to promote news or blog posts. They are all committed to growing your store's online sales. Because of this, they are an essential component of any eCommerce brand's marketing plan.

Traditional search and display ads have different setup methods than Google PLA ads. You only need these items to begin your journey.

What does it mean to advertise product listings?

Product listing ads (PLAs) are advertisements that appear when a user searches for a product on Google.

 Product listing advertising is distinguished by the ability to include product images, real-time pricing data, and reviews. Because Google pulls its data directly from your product feed, it is always up to date.

This is an example of a product listing advertisement.

The image depicts an advertisement for a "brown leather sofa."

They are also displayed prominently. These appealing product listing ads usually appear above Google's organic results and text-based search ads. As a result, searchers often see them first.

These advertisements may also appear to the right of search results. Alternatively, if people pick the "shopping" tab on Google, they will appear much more prominently.

 Search results for "brown leather sofa" in Google's shopping department

 Search results for "brown leather sofa" in Google's shopping department

 Simply put, these product ads enable businesses to reach customers at a vital point in the sales process. Prospects can learn about new brands before making a purchase because the modern consumer experience is not linear.

 Websites such as Facebook and Instagram include similar ad formats. However, when people use the term "product listing advertising," they usually mean Google.

The benefits of using PLA marketing

 People use Google to research new products and items, according to 49% of consumers. As a result, it makes an excellent place for product advertisements. However, PLA advertising has some extra benefits.

Highlight the importance of your merchandise

 Product listing advertising allows brands to reach a wider but highly relevant audience.

 Customers are likely to pay attention to Google PLA ads because of their prominent placement and engaging presentation.

 Even if they do not click through, this advertising might increase visibility for your brand. However, because PLA advertising only costs money when someone clicks to view your product, you will not have to pay for this benefit.

 Furthermore, a brand may display multiple items in a single set of search results. Brands that succeed in doing so will emerge as industry leaders.

Detect the business intent

Users who click on a product ad featuring a price and an image have most likely done their research beforehand. They've got an open wallet.

 Brands should expect to generate more sales than they would with traditional display ads because PLA advertising targets consumers as they search for products.

 The Google Search Network outperforms the Google Display Network when comparing average industry conversion rates. The percentages are 4.4% and 0.57%, respectively.

Are there no statistics comparing Google PLA ads to text-based search ads? However, because PLAs are more visible and appealing, they may enhance click-through rates and brand awareness.

Allowing customers to view a product image before clicking your ad should boost conversion rates, qualified leads, and ROAS. Whatever eCommerce KPIs you measure, all of them benefit your brand's bottom line.

Although determining a consumer's purchasing intent can be challenging, ChannelSight has helped several major worldwide firms.

They provide a smooth user experience

As previously stated, product marketing helps businesses reach out to the right customers at the right times.

While this is good news for businesses trying to grow sales, it also benefits customers who want to get their purchases done quickly.

Convenience is important to providing a great online shopping experience. Customers can navigate directly to a product page when using PLA advertising. They will not have to spend time reviewing a large number of test findings. Instead, users may instantly see a product's rating, price, and image.

Ensure that clients have a great experience when they visit your website. You can address questions and inquiries via live chat. Please provide them with a list of related products so that they can explore other options. If your products are available in stores, make sure to offer in-store purchasing options.

According to Merkle's most recent Digital Marketing Report, local product listing ads have grown over the last year. It is anticipated that as the pandemic decreases, the number of in-person store visits driven by Google AdWords will rise.

Customers return to stores to browse, make purchases, schedule curbside collection, and pick up things. By providing location information, livestock updates, and click-and-collect options, brands can make this as straightforward as possible. 'Where to Purchase' technology can facilitate this process and assist in guiding potential clients through the sales funnel.

Discover how to begin using Google PLA ads in four simple steps.

PLA advertising, unlike other search ad categories, involves a unique setup procedure. Despite not using keywords interchangeably, you can quickly launch a campaign. You must accomplish the following:

Create a Google Merchant Center account.

 You will need to go to Google and submit basic company information. This will be visible to everyone who views your product ads. Google will also request details on any additional users who need account access.

 This is the first step, and you will need a Google account.

Check out your store

Before you can initiate any PLA advertising campaigns, you must prove to Google that you are the real owner of your store.

This can be easily accomplished by integrating Google Tag Manager or Google Analytics into your site. However, building your store on a third-party platform like Shopify may not always allow this.

Instead, consider including a file or HTML element on your page. Your developer may be able to assist you with this.

Return to your Google Merchant account and hit the "Verify URL" button in the bottom right corner to finish the process. Once this is complete, you may begin creating product ads.

Put your products online

 Google automatically generates product listing ads based on your inventory data, saving you time and effort in creating ad copy and carefully selecting keywords.

A.txt file or an automatic feed are both viable options for submitting product information to Google. If you want to see relevant keywords in your ads, you must include them in your product titles and descriptions as early as possible.

Automated feeds are easy to set up using eCommerce platforms like Shopify, WordPress, and PrestaShop. However, the required app or extension may charge a fee when your product information changes, whereas automatic feeds instantly update your advertising, saving you a significant amount of labor.

The manual.txt file method takes longer, but you can optimize your product advertisements by changing and refining each item. When you change a cost or feature, you must upload the document to Google again. Here you can find sample files to edit or use as a guide.

Firms that are tech-savvy can link their product streams using the Google Content API and their bespoke platforms. This is something that will require the assistance of a developer.

Configure your Google Ads PLA ad.

 After you've submitted your products, go to Google Ads and set up unique ad groups and targeting parameters for them. You may also set ad bids on this page.

Google PLA advertisements, unlike other forms of advertising, rely on competitive auction bids to determine placements. The cost per click will vary according to your industry and the products you sell.

It's also worth noting that the Microsoft Google Merchant Import tool makes it straightforward to import your product ads to Bing after you've set up Google PLA advertising.

Final thoughts

Brands must be present wherever buyers look for them.

PLA advertising provides a good opportunity for consumer acquisition. Additionally, these advertisements are excellent for increasing brand identification. However, they are also critical for convenience and client happiness.

Whatever you can do to make clients' lives easier will benefit your business.

Do you need help with your eCommerce plan? BM Marketing, a website development company, can help you implement new ideas to improve your eCommerce approach. Call us now to learn more.